Secondary Tales of the Two Great Epics

Author(s): Rajendra I Nanavati
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 30

Introductory
17 glory of wealth and power, sows the seed of jealousy in the mind of Duryodhana. This jealousy subsequently flowers into the events of Dyūta and Anu-dyūta subparvans and ultimately results in the all-destructive fratricidal war. Thus, Rājasüya can be said to be the real beginning of the original epic, as it is connected with the central event of the family-war.
Neither is it difficult to corroborate our supposition by showing that the events prior to the sacrifice are not essentially connected with the central event. The sacrificial episode actually starts with Yudhisthira's deliberations about it with Kțsna in the second sub-parvan of the SabP (called Mantra-parvan). The first sub-parvan is called Sabhā- or Sabha-Varnana-parvan. In it, Maya Dānava, out of gratitude for Arjuna who allowed him to escape alive from the all-consuming Khāndava-burning, builds a glorious palace for Pāndavas. Nārada visits the palace, describes divine palaces of Indra, Yama, Varuna, Kubera, Brahma and incidentally mentions Hariscandra, the only king who could sit in the Indra-sabhā on account of the merits of performing a Rājas üya, Also Pāņdu, sitting in Yama-sabhā, is said to have sent a message through Nārada to his son Yudhisthira that he also should perform a Rājasūya. This serves to put the germ in the mind of Yudhisthira, who thereafter takes up the deliberation first with his ministers and finally with Krsna.
Once we realize that it is only very natural for Yudhisthira or for any other eminent king, to perform a Rājasūya sacrifice even without any external incentives, the inessential character of these events becomes eminently clear. Pāņdu sending a message from the Yama-sabhā is a supernatural element. Descriptions of the five divine palaces are only after the repetitive decorative style so characteristic of the folk-literature, and the incidental mention of Hariscandra is brought in only to provide an incentive for Rājasūya, which, as we have seen, is not essential. Nārada himself is inessential.
Even the palace is not inevitable. It is certainly not the cause to induce Yudhisthira to perform the sacrifice, neither is it necessary to inspire jealousy in Duryodhana which can very well be explained as arising on account of the dazzling glory of the wealth and power of the Pāndavas revealed at the Rājasūya. Nor is the palace intended to symbolize the wealth of the Pandavas. Rājasüya itself is enough to symbolize the glory of the Pāņdavas. If the palace were really intended to be symbolic of their glory, the author would have made Yudhișthira put the palace as a pawn in the famous scene of dice. But that never happens. Even the jealous utterances of Duryodhana do not reveal any such importance of the palace. If at all, palace is only a minor part of the Pandavas' glory and can be done away with. Duryodhana's jealousy is roused only when he comes and sees for himself the glory of the Pandavas and the cause of his arrival at Khändavaprastha is Yudhisthira's
ST. 3